Justin Lathrop - founder of Helpstaff.me (now Vanderbloemen Search), Oaks School of Leadership, and MinistryCoach.tv - recently shared a top ten list of characteristics of effective church leaders that was created by Hillsong Church for its staff members. That list includes: being a can-do person, delegating but never dumping, having an attractive spirituality, serving with gladness, and empowering others. So What? Expectations matter. When your nominating Read More …
Leadership
Benefits of Church Task Forces (#1297)
In addition to standing Boards and Committees, many congregations form task forces or other temporary working groups to manage specific projects. Jenni Catron, Executive Director of Cross Point Church (Nashville, TN), recently shared a list of some of the positive outcomes of these temporary teams. Her list includes: the hierarchy is flattened, new relationships are formed, and great leaders emerge. So What? While Boards and Committees have important roles to Read More …
Leadership Archetypes (#1279)
Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, Distinguished Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change at INSEAD, recently shared his eight leadership archetypes on the Harvard Business Review blog. The strategist: leadership as a game of chess. The change-catalyst: leadership as a turnaround activity. The transactor: leadership as deal making. The builder: leadership as an entrepreneurial activity. The innovator: leadership as creative idea generation. The processor: leadership as Read More …
Doing Things a New Way (#1270)
Brian Dodd works for the Rocket Company, an organization committed to helping churches increase weekly giving and pastors preach better sermons. Recently, he listed 15 reasons why people don't need to do things the way they have always been done (based on a video featuring Kevin Kelley of the Pulaski Academy). Included on the list are I've done my research, I am continually learning, the current situation calls for something different, I think Read More …
Leaders Let Go (#1225)
Scott Williams, author of Church Diversity: Sunday the Most Segregated Day of the Week (2011 – read my review here) and leadership guru, recently shared an important leadership truth: "If you want to be a leader, you must learn to let go." So What? Williams rightly recognizes how frustrating it can be when someone in a leadership position is unable and/or unwilling to let go of things (e.g., details, leading to micromanaging behavior) or of people. Real Read More …
Growing Beyond 200 (#1208)
Most congregations are relatively small. While small is not bad, small and plateaued or small and declining are. In reality, churches of any size are either growing or declining. Healthy congregations should be growing congregations. Carey Nieuwhof, lead pastor of Connexus Community Church, recently wrote about many of the reasons why churches can grow to a certain size, but not beyond such. In a great deal of the literature on the topic of church size, the number 200 is Read More …
“All In” Leadership (#1156)
Brad Lomenick, leader of Catalyst, recently shared twelve attributes of what he calls "all in leaders." These leaders are totally committed, and willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. Lomenick's list includes the following attributes: You are trustworthy. 100%. Always with no exceptions. We is much more important than me. If I win, the team wins. If the team wins, I win. You get it done no matter how long it takes. Your intentions and goals are clear. Your Read More …
How Leaders Destroy Teams (#1153)
Scott Williams, author of Church Diversity: Sunday the Most Segregated Day of the Week (2011 – read my review here) and leadership guru, recently shared five ways leaders destroy their teams: using the "my way or the highway" approach, being "all about the numbers", always talking - never really listening, making changes for the sake of change, and not caring about the people on the team. So What? Whether a given task happens in the life of a church, a Read More …
Do You Like Church? (#1116)
Scott Cochrane, Vice President- International of the Willow Creek Association, recently blogged about what he understands to be the most awkward question any church leader can be asked: do you like church? So What? I think every prospective member of a board, committee, or work group within a congregation should be asked this awkward yet important question. If the answer is "not really, but" would that disqualify someone from serving in a leadership role in your congregation? Read More …
Greatest Leadership Challenge (#1108)
Scott Williams, author of Church Diversity: Sunday the Most Segregated Day of the Week (2011 – read my review here) and leadership guru, recently shared what he believes to be the greatest challenge facing leaders today: The Greatest Challenge Facing Leaders Today is a group of followers, team members and co-workers that are unwilling to speak up about what’s wrong, what’s ugly, what’s crazy, what’s ridiculous and what needs to be changed. So What? Part of leading Read More …